GOAL 1: No Poverty High fertility rates and population growth can trap countries in poverty. Large family size and poverty often go hand-in-hand. People living in deprived areas are usually not empowered to choose the number of children they have and in some cases feel the need to have many so they can be provided for in their old age. GOAL 2: Zero Hunger Feeding the world without destroying more nature will become increasingly difficult and eventually impossible under sustained population growth. Agriculture is already a leading cause of environmental degradation and further conversion of land for farming purposes will have devastating consequences for biodiversity and our climate.